Faith-based organisations highlight best practices and challenges in dealing with HIV response in Asia

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

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25 January 2023
Christian conference of Asia, Asia christanity

From left to right: Ms Poh Siew Lin, Mr Sovann Son, Mr Michael Mahinay, Mr Hewa Lakshman

Bangkok, Thailand: While sharing best practices and challenges in responding to the HIV and AIDS pandemic, leaders of the Interfaith Network on AIDS spoke about the strengths of their work, which included mutual understanding and respect among religious leaders, a sustained network, coordination, and education campaigns on HIV and AIDS awareness, and the establishment of shelters for affected people that are supported by faith leaders and their communities. Khwan Taung from the Myanmar Council of Churches’ HIV and AIDS Prevention Care described the interfaith initiatives in Myanmar effectively carried out by a committed group of faith-based organisations in the country. Dr Alphinus Kambodji, the chairperson of the INTERNA (Indonesian Interfaith Network on HIV and AIDS), highlighted strategic efforts for combating the AIDS pandemic including strengthening commitment, expanding collaborations, embracing innovative approaches by incorporating young people's talents and resources, and providing services that are accessible to all. Sovann Son from the Salvation Centre in Cambodia informed the group that his organisation's scope of work included nearly thirty years of collaboration with Buddhist monks on community-based HIV and AIDS response programmes. The training and empowerment of monks and monk peer educators for counselling programmes are part of the work. Michael Jesus Mahinay, the executive director of Alagad, based in Davao City in the Philippines, highlighted direct services and support, and the development of partnerships and networking among various sectors and stakeholders such as faith-based organisations based in various traditions.   Somasundaram Shiran Mahesh, a programme executive at the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka shared experiences of ministering to children living with HIV and AIDS.  The three-day Asian Interfaith Network on AIDS Conference has sessions and discussions that emphasise the importance of interfaith collaboration within communities in creating a harmonious environment that promotes inclusivity and acceptance and overcoming the major barrier of stigma, particularly in a diverse Asian context. The Conference will end on 25 January 2023. More photos can be found here.